Moving from a hedge fund to MBB

Hi there,

1) I'm thinking about moving to MBB but I'm unsure if research experience is acceptable. 

Sure, from what you shared your profile seems totally fine for MBB.

2) Can some offices be more accepting than others? 

Yes, in terms of the likelihood of an offer (your profile in general looks fine anyway). 

Offices that receive more applications are generally more difficult to break into. At the same time, offices that focus more on financial services could be a better fit in your case.

It is difficult to recommend something specific without knowing your full profile, visa constraints and the languages you speak (in most cases you need to speak the local language).

If possible, I would recommend to find a referral. You can find more on that here:

▶ How to Get an MBB Invitation 

In terms of how to prepare, you can find some tips here:

▶ How to Prepare for an MBB Interview

Good luck!

Francesco

Hi there,

First of all, you seem to be ‘MBB material’ from what I see (ultimately, it takes a CV screening to really tell).

As for your questions, here's my take:

1. I'm thinking about moving to MBB but I'm unsure if research experience is acceptable. There's plenty of people in MBB who have similar or less impressive work experience on their CV. Research is part of the consulting skill set, the rest of which can be developed over time if they are intrinsic to you in a less developed state.
2. Can some offices be more accepting than others? Technically, yes. But it's probably not the best way to break down MBB for your purposes. More relevant may be the different roles and service lines that best match your profile and interests.
3. I'm also looking for a less brutal lifestyle… Usually, MBB consulting is more brutal than the alternative. In your case, I'm not so sure and you may find it less demanding. However, I almost feel weird typing this. It's certainly not 9 to 5… But if you can do 13-15 hrs every day (sometimes more) with high stress over longer periods of time, you'll be fine!

As a recruiter, I would probably want to invite you! Let me know if you'd like to discuss anything more specific to find the best match and submit a killer application.

Hi there,

You have a profile that would allow for a switch to MBB. In particular, you can consider joining firms that focus on that type of work, and even consider joining as a specialist. Finally, yes offices that match your profile better will of course be more accepting.

Now, remember that MBB lifestyle is pretty brutal as well. It's less bad than law and investment banking, but it's still no walk in the park!

Make sure to network extensively to 1) Get a better idea as to if the switch makes sense and 2) Improve your chances of getting invited to interview

As you prepare for the interview, you can read this article here: https://www.preplounge.com/en/articles/how-to-shift-your-mindset-to-ace-the-case

And this article for the behavioral portion: https://www.preplounge.com/en/articles/tell-me-about-yourself-interview-question

Hello!

You've gotten some great advice on this so far and I definitely agree with the other experts - experience working as a hedge fund analyst is definitely valuable! You could also mention the management duties you have held and how they enticed your interest in consulting during the recruiting process.

Regarding competitiveness, my additional two cents is that you may have an advantage applying to offices that work a lot with private equity/finance clients, or consulting roles within a specific PE/finance practice, as opposed to a generalist role (I haven't seen the rest of your profile so cannot comment much more on this in your case specifically, but typically people who have worked in finance tend to be attractive hires for those practices).

Regarding lifestyle, MBB can certainly be quite intense, but probably not quite as intense hours-wise as a hedge fund job. There is also a lot of lifestyle variation between different projects.

Hello!

Thanks for the detailed post, it always helps!

The answer is clear: 100% consulting profile! And not as BA anymore! 

I hope that will be what you are looking for in terms of lifestyle, since as you probably know, it can be pretty brutal…

My advice would be to start the prep and network for a referral. With your CV, you will for sure have connections that will prove helpful. 

Hope it helps!

Cheers, 

Clara

Short answer: yes. As a hedge fund equity analyst in London you absolutely have a profile that is appealing for MBB. My tip would be to do some networking and get your name known before you “officially” apply. Then there shouldn't be an issue in principle.

Cheers, Sidi

Your research experience will be of value, there are a lot of transferrable skills that you can apply in consulting. Since your research exposure has been in financial services, I would focus on offices that have a lot of projects in financial services like London and New York 

Generally speaking it should be feasible.  Feel free to message if you want to discuss in more detail.